Volume V • Issue VI

The puppy issue – the perfect antidote to the post-shooting season blues! 

We’ve put together advice from our leading experts to help ensure you do everything right in those crucial early days with your new recruit. Starting with the most important element, which is choosing the right dog for you and your eventual goals. Ben Randall reminds us to not let our heads rule our hearts when it comes to making that all-important breed choice. Being honest about your ability and what you want from the dog are two crucial factors to ensure a happy lifelong partnership with your dog, says Ben.

When you do bring your puppy home, GJ’s new veterinarian Louisa Lane has some advice on how to keep your mischievous little bundle safe and healthy. On the training front, you’ll want to make sure you are setting solid foundations right from the start. Laura Hill and Jayne Coley have some helpful pointers to ensure you do just that. 

Something that you may not immediately think of, but which may require some consideration, is whether or not to remove the pup’s dewclaws. Our vet nurse Laura Hawkins looks at both sides of this often-debated issue to help you weigh up the pros and cons.

Also in this issue:

• Shooting snipe and woodcock over dogs

• Post-season training advice

• KC Cocker and AV Spaniel Championship reports

• Irish Snipe Championship report

• Picking-up: how to get onto a team

• The Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer in profile

• Interview: a young, up-and-coming star of the Irish trialling circuit

• Dog of a Lifetime: Howard Kirby and Tashi the GLP